Knowing what you know now, what would you choose?

[80shusky]

So, it looks like I'm off the train. I've been riding it, faithfully, in hopes that it would make the right turns to get me home eventually. But, it keeps derailing and crashing, people keep jumping off, other people get on who I don't think were as nice as the ones who left. I guess I'm done.
Here's my question: If you knew in 2012 what we know now, would you take the National Championship and then the last few years? Or would you roll the dice with some other uncertainty that may have been better, may have been more consistently good but not great, or may have been worse?
I'd still take the Championship every time.
And, I'm still rooting for the kids. Hopefully the youngins get as many minutes as possible the rest of the way. Carlton, Diarra, Whaley and Polley could still be really nice pieces with some seasoning.

 

[AdamaNation]

Sounds great. But Larrier and jalen aren’t going anywhere to sit a year (sans duke or Kentucky if they were interested.)They need more time. And to at least practice against better comp(hence the ku duke references)

 

[noeynox]

I don't give up that Ship for nothing.

I still hold hope this team starts clicking in conference play and Ollie earns himself next year off of this year BUT the reality is this team has horrible fundamentals. Boxing out, lmfao. Can't shoot, defend, run any quality offensive sets.

In short Ollie looks lost but I still take the Ship.

 

[8893]

NC all day.

 

[David 76]

Tough call. If we were to remain relevant, I would gladly give up the Championship. But on a gamble, I'd choose to keep number four'

Gun to my head today, I would've gone with an alternative coach.

 

[TRest]

Number 4 looks like the last gasp of greatness. After JC got the first the rest was gravy. So I would trade 4 for continued relevance if possible.

 

[Mokum]

I'll take the championship. The program can be saved, but there is no time to waste. Ollie is not qualified, I don't care if he is a good guy and a Uconn icon or whatever. None of that means you can coach, and he obviously can not. Yes , there are valid excuses like injuries, but this is not a bunch of bums, there are decent players on the team, and they look lost out there to me. That's clearly on the coach. Calhoun would never have tolerated the lack of effort.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Hard to make a case that there was a bigger CR loser than MBB, so maybe some version of this was inevitable. Approximately quarter century run up to Dream Season, and similar time span to 2014 has given me a sports fan experience that anyone would cherish.

 

[JMick]

I would trade it for a spot in the ACC or B1G. Not for anything else, though.

 

[8893]

I would trade it for a spot in the ACC or B1G. Not for anything else, though.

I would trade it for one of those jet pack things that would allow me to fly anywhere I wanted to. Or one of those Jetson's space cars.

 

[JMick]

I would trade it for one of those jet pack things that would allow me to fly anywhere I wanted to. Or one of those Jetson's space cars.

Jet Packs aren't practical. Good luck getting an FAA license for the space car

 

[Kemba429]

I dont really know because I think that a different coach couldve won that championship.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Sounds great. But Larrier and jalen aren’t going anywhere to sit a year (sans duke or Kentucky if they were interested.)They need more time. And to at least practice against better comp(hence the ku duke references)

Larrier could very well graduate and transfer elsewhere. And it's become pretty clear he doesn't give a about UConn so I could see him go if he really doesn't like what he hears about his pro prospects.

 

[Milo65]

Championship, I am grateful for it and Ollie was great his first two years, but I haven’t seen that Ollie in a while. He can’t recruit the players he needs for his system and he doesn’t have the ability to teach a system to fit the strength of his players. When he took over there was such a family atmosphere, I haven’t seen that since his divorce. His demeanor, his body language, the defection of players, the decommitments, the distancing of Calhoun, the firing of Miller, all point to a lack of cohesion and I don’t get the family vibe anymore.

If KO had a charity golf tourney or an Alumni game, how many of his players from the past 6 years would attend? I don’t have an answer, but do know that JC was an SOB, but his players would run through a brick wall for him, I don’t feel that with Ollie.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don’t think Ollie had any better chance of winning that NC than anybody else would. So I’d go in a different direction. But then, I didn’t want Ollie in 2012 and said so. He was grossly unqualified for the job.

It’s a moot point. We are where we are. Looking back helps nothing.

 

[Horatio]

I'll take the championship. KO's biggest problem is retaining players. He really needs to keep the core of this group together and not loose what he has committed for next year. He can't have another summer/ offseason replacing kids at the last minute. If he can't at least retain what he recruits things will never get
Better.

 

[uc1990]

So, it looks like I'm off the train. I've been riding it, faithfully, in hopes that it would make the right turns to get me home eventually. But, it keeps derailing and crashing, people keep jumping off, other people get on who I don't think were as nice as the ones who left. I guess I'm done.
Here's my question: If you knew in 2012 what we know now, would you take the National Championship and then the last few years? Or would you roll the dice with some other uncertainty that may have been better, may have been more consistently good but not great, or may have been worse?
I'd still take the Championship every time.
And, I'm still rooting for the kids. Hopefully the youngins get as many minutes as possible the rest of the way. Carlton, Diarra, Whaley and Polley could still be really nice pieces with some seasoning.

Great post! Take the NC and hope for brighter times to come.Easy call for me! I think some people have only been fans since 99 maybe. I recognize that this might be worse than Calhouns 13years before his NC. (alot of fun teams that couldn't win a NC) but don't remember Calhoun having best players out for seasons ever. and awful schedules in a lame conference. I know it is his fault but 3 good players leave the same year. I hope Ollie can prove his haters wrong. I am highly concerned that he can't.

 

[BUConn10]

If it meant we could somehow retry our hand at conference realignment as well knowing what we do now, I re-roll the dice 100%.

 

[jibsey]

You don’t get NC’s easily so you don’t trade it, but if you had traded it for a place in the ACC we’re probably getting blue chippers. That said, plenty of ACC teams never sniff a championship because you need both talent and luck to get them.

 

[UCDaveD]

You'd have to rip that 4th NC from my cold, dead hands.

 

[BUConn10]

To those saying it's crazy to return a NC. Ask yourself this:

"What has the 2014 title done to help UConn Men's Basketball in any way in the last couple years?"

Never had a program been so bad at capitalizing on success of the highest level. Our worst years seem to come after our title runs.

 

[lange10]

Larrier could very well graduate and transfer elsewhere. And it's become pretty clear he doesn't give a about UConn so I could see him go if he really doesn't like what he hears about his pro prospects.

I bet Jalen is close credits wise to graduating as well. I think both would be on the grad transfer market. Larrier for sure, and Jalen if he'll qualify.

 

[2Husky]

I think you hire Ollie to the seven month contract, then give him the first extension at the end of the season, then no more extentions, he wins the championship and either gets poached or flounders in mediocrity until that contract ran out and we could get someone good in for these past couple of years

 

[Huskybass]

I wouldn't give up the 4th championship for anything, but only because I was so happy for guys like Bazz and Boat who absolutely busted their asses and refused to lose.

 

[CL82]

I don't give up that Ship for nothing.

I still hold hope this team starts clicking in conference play and Ollie earns himself next year off of this year BUT the reality is this team has horrible fundamentals. Boxing out, lmfao. Can't shoot, defend, run any quality offensive sets.

In short Ollie looks lost but I still take the Ship.